40 comments:

A late evening mole lookout using binoculars. But the best thing to use is night vision goggles with built in red laser spot to better aim your pellet gun with. Time to watch Caddyshack again...a cast of stars and a goofy story.

The area surrounding the lawn needs to be undulating. And, there needs to be a recessed area (or two) accessible by subtile paths, and the hidden coves should be separated from the lawn w/ the raised parts of the undulation as well as plantings on those raised parts.

I'd also add a permiter of seven foot rolled black bamboo fencing made of at least one inch diameter bamboo. Then, there should be bamboo planters that back up to this fencing. The planters should be about three feet deep and one foot high, they should be made out of concrete with a slate 12x12 tile face that is installed tightly w/o grout joints. Preferably the tile should have decent color variation from one to the other and an iridescent/metallic tone.

I'd also add a fire feature. Hopefully Meadehouse has natural gas, so the enjoyment can continue w/o interruption.

Ideally, it' be nice to have an acid stained patio w/ a built in outdoor kitchen and a covered area for a table. But, that will need to fit out of frame, hopefully this picture isn't the entire yard.

P.S. Maybe the counters from the house could be reused for the outdoor kitchen (even though there are clearly better options). Then the inside kitchen can be done in something more tasteful e.g. copper and butcher block, or a slab w/ a honed finish.

Too be clear, the bamboo planter needs to be about two feet tall, but the sides of the planter will only rise about one foot above the mean finished grade. I'm sure Meade could pick a satisfactory bamboo for the area. I might lean toward something that naturally tops out at fifteen feet. Of course, you can always top any bamboo wherever you want it.

Obama is bringing peace to Darfur. George Clooney said so after meeting with the President this afternoon.

Clooney said, "I think we're very impressed with how involved, at the highest level, this administration is and now our job is to try and continue to keep it in the press and keep it, to keep the light turned on for the next 90 days while we try and broker a peace deal, which is what they're working on right now."

See how easy that was. If only we had known how terrible things were in Darfur, if only Obama had replaced Bush two years ago . . . .

Even w/o the rest of it, I do really think that an undulating topography (perhaps up to three feet above the current elevation, at the highest points of the newly formed surface) would be nice. Flat is boring, and we know what Althouse thinks about boring.

And, it would be amazing to have at least one hidden, recessed cove where you can put a couple nice, soft outdoor chairs (and a little table, for drinks). Even the floor of the cove can be lush, if it's made out of large, irregular slate pieces with those little green plants growing in the cracks between the slate (as you can tell I don't know the names of plants, but I've had garden designers put these little plants between slate pieces in several of my gardens, so I know it looks gorgeous.) You two can hang out back there, completely surrounded by lush plantings--it'll be heaven on earth.

Also, I hope you're integrating lighting. uplighting the larger plantings is awesome. And, you can get all sorts of custom blown glass lights that look like everything from small mushrooms to good sized multi-blooming flowers. No reason to leave your oasis just because it's dark.

Sounds delightful. I agree with 1jpb about a path to a secluded area, but I might just 'pave' it with a soft, short ground cover. And it has to have a bird bath. Mrs. Meade needs a place to levitate privately. ;)

HOUSTON — State-owned Chinese energy giant CNOOC is buying a multibillion-dollar stake in 600,000 acres of South Texas oil and gas fields, potentially testing the political waters for further expansion into U.S. energy reserves.

The US used to buy up companies. Now we are being bought up by the Chinese and in a most critical sector.

US has no coherent energy policy and Congress apparently see no urgency in the energy outlook for the country and world oil production relative to increasing demand.

I certainly agree with 1jpb that undulating heights in planting beds are quite lovely if done well but...bringing all that extra soil in is a ton of work and expensive. Love the half circle of grass...it will really set off the plant material as it matures. I'm sure Meade will enjoy adding to this area for some years to come.I love landscaping...my own personal projects and others!

I'm genuinely touched by your love story, and the simple things you enjoy doing together - cooking, biking, enjoying nature. You are clearly so fond of each other and enjoy each other's company. What a wonderful chapter in both your lives. You are generous to share so much with us.